Data center

ABSTRACT

A data center inside a shipping container having a lower plenum and an upper plenum in its interior. Heated air in the upper plenum exits therefrom into a plurality of heat exchangers adjacent thereto. Air cooled by the heat exchangers travels toward and enters the lower plenum. The data center includes a plurality of carriages each having an equipment receiving portion located between an open bottom portion in open communication with the lower plenum, and an open top portion in open communication with the upper plenum. Fans inside each of the carriages draw cooled air up from the lower plenum into the open bottom portion of the carriage, blow the cooled air up through the equipment receiving portion thereby cooling any computing equipment received therein, and vent the cooled air through the open top portion into the upper plenum.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Divisional of, and claims the benefit of priorityto, United States Utility patent application Ser. No. 12/347,415entitled “Data Center”, filed Dec. 31, 2008, and currently co-pending.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed generally to a data center and moreparticularly to a data center housed inside a portable self-containedenclosure, such as a shipping container.

2. Description of the Related Art

Planning and constructing a traditional data center requires substantialcapital, planning, and time. The challenges of planning a traditionaldata center include maximizing computing density (i.e., providing amaximum amount of computing capacity within a given physical space).Further, it may be difficult, if not impossible, to use the spaceavailable efficiently enough to provide adequate computing capacity.

Once a data center is constructed, it can be difficult to upgrade tokeep up with current technologies. For example, it may be difficult, ifnot impossible, to expand an existing data center operating at fullcapacity because the expansion may require additional power and coolingresources, which simply are not available or would be costly to install.

Therefore, a need exists for a means of reducing the capital, planning,and/or time required to implement a data center. A further need existsfor a data center that requires less capital, planning, and/or time thana traditional data center. A customizable data center configurable for aparticular user's needs is also desirable. A data center capable ofintegration with an already existing data center is also advantageous. Afurther need also exists for a data center that requires less time andeffort during set up and installation. The present application providesthese and other advantages as will be apparent from the followingdetailed description and accompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a data center housed inside a container.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the container ofFIG. 1 omitting its first longitudinal side portion, front portion, andpersonnel door to provide a view of its interior portion.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional perspective view ofthe data center of FIG. 1 taken laterally through the container andomitting its first longitudinal side portion, and second longitudinalside portion.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional perspective view ofthe data center of FIG. 1 omitting its electrical system and takenlongitudinally through the container.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of the datacenter of FIG. 1 omitting its electrical system and taken laterallythrough the container.

FIG. 6 is a front view of a carriage of the data center of FIG. 1housing exemplary computing equipment.

FIG. 7A is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional perspective view ofthe data center of FIG. 1 omitting portions of its vertical coolingsystem and taken longitudinally through the container.

FIG. 7B is an electrical schematic of the electrical system of the datacenter of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8A is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional perspective view ofan embodiment of the data center of FIG. 1 including an uninterruptiblepower supply (“UPS”) omitting its vertical cooling system and takenlongitudinally through the container.

FIGS. 8B and 8C are an electrical schematic of the electrical system ofthe data center of FIG. 1 including a UPS.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the carriage of FIG. 5 omitting theexemplary computing equipment.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional perspective view ofthe data center of FIG. 1 omitting its electrical system and takenlongitudinally through the container.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of an alternateembodiment of a data center including openings and louvers along itsroof and floor portions, omitting its electrical system, and takenlaterally through the container.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional perspective view ofthe data center of FIG. 11 including alternate louvers along its roofand floor portions and, omitting its electrical system and portions ofits vertical cooling systems, and taken longitudinally through thecontainer.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of alternateembodiment of a data center including openings and louvers along itsroof portion and side portions.

FIG. 14 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the data centerof FIG. 13 omitting louvers along its roof portion and including louverassemblies along its side portions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, aspects of the present invention relate to a datacenter 10 housed inside a container 12. The container 12 may be aconventional shipping container of the type typically used to shipsgoods via a cargo ship, railcar, semi-tractor, and the like. Thecontainer 12 is portable and may be delivered to a use sitesubstantially ready for use with minimal set up required. As will bedescribed in detail below, the data center 10 may be preconfigured withdesired computer hardware, data storage capacity, and interfaceelectronics. For example, the data center 10 may be configured accordingto customer requirements and/or specifications.

The data center 10 is completely self contained in the container 12 andmay be substantially ready for use immediately following delivery thusreducing the need for on-site technical staff, and in particularembodiments, reducing the need to install and setup computing hardware,route data cables, route power cables, and the like.

As described in detail below, the environment inside the container 12may be climate controlled to provide a suitable environment for theoperation of computing equipment and hardware. For example, theenvironment inside the container 12 may provide optimal powerconsumption (including adequate power for lighting), cooling,ventilation, and space utilization. The data center 10 may be configuredto provide an efficient self-contained computing solution suitable forapplications in remote locations, temporary locations, and the like.

The container 12 has a first longitudinal side portion 14 opposite asecond longitudinal side portion 16. The container 12 also includes afirst end portion 18 extending transversely between the first and secondlongitudinal side portions 14 and 16 and a second end portion 20extending transversely between the first and second side portions 14 and16. By way of a non-limiting example, each of the first and secondlongitudinal side portions 14 and 16 may be about 40 feet long and about9.5 feet tall. The first and second end portions 18 and 20 may be about8.5 feet wide and about 9.5 feet tall. One of the first and second endportions 18 and 20 may include a personnel door 24. The container 12also includes a top or roof portion 30 extending transversely betweenthe first and second side portions 14 and 16 and longitudinally betweenthe first and second end portions 18 and 20. The container 12 alsoincludes a bottom or floor portion 32 extending transversely between thefirst and second side portions 14 and 16 and longitudinally between thefirst and second end portions 18 and 20. The container 12 may be mountedon pillars 33, blocks, or the like to be elevated above the ground.

As illustrated in FIG. 2 and appreciated by those of ordinary skill inthe art, the floor portion 32 includes a support frame 40 having a firstlongitudinally extending framing member 42A spaced laterally from asecond longitudinally extending framing member 42B. The first and secondlongitudinally extending framing members 42A and 42B extend along andsupport the first and second longitudinal side portions 14 and 16 (seeFIG. 1), respectively.

The floor portion 32 also includes a plurality of laterally extendingframing members 44 that extend transversely between the first and secondlongitudinally extending framing members 42A and 42B. A plurality oflaterally extending interstices or lower plenums 46 are defined betweenthe laterally extending framing members 44. If as illustrated in theembodiment depicted in FIG. 3, the laterally extending framing members44 have a C-shaped cross-sectional shape having an open inside portion47, the lower plenums 46 may each include the open inside portions 47 ofthe C-shaped laterally extending framing members 44. Air may flowlaterally within the floor portion 32 inside the lower plenums 46, whichinclude the open inside portion 47 of the C-shaped laterally extendingframing members 44. The laterally extending framing members 44 may helpguide or direct this lateral airflow.

Each of the laterally extending framing members 44 may be constructedfrom a single elongated member having a C-shaped cross-sectional shape.However, each of the laterally extending framing members 44 may includethree laterally extending portions: a first portion 50, a second portion52, and a third portion 54. The first portion 50 is adjacent the firstlongitudinal side portion 14, the second portion 52 is adjacent thesecond longitudinal side portion 16, and the third portion 54 is locatedbetween the first and second portions 50 and 52.

A first pair of spaced apart longitudinally extending support surfaces56A and 56B are supported by the first portion 50 of the laterallyextending framing members 44. A second pair of spaced apartlongitudinally extending support surfaces 58A and 58B are supported bythe second portion 52 of the laterally extending framing members 44. Inthe embodiment illustrated, the third portion 54 of the laterallyextending framing members 44 is flanked by the longitudinally extendingsupport surfaces 56B and 58B.

FIG. 4 provides a longitudinal cross-section of the data center 10. Forillustrative purposes, the first end portion 18 and the personnel door24 have been omitted to provide a better view of the components insidethe container 12. The first longitudinal side portion 14, the secondlongitudinal side portion 16, the first end portion 18 (see FIG. 1), thesecond end portion 20, the roof portion 30, and the floor portion 32define an enclosed hollow interior portion 60 accessible to a user (suchas a technician) via the personnel door 24 (see FIG. 1).

Turning to FIGS. 3 and 5, inside the interior portion 60, a plurality ofracks or carriages 70 are arranged along each of the first and secondlongitudinal side portions 14 and 16. The first pair of spaced apartlongitudinally extending support surfaces 56A and 56B (see FIGS. 2 and3) supported by the first portions 50 of the laterally extending framingmembers 44 support the plurality of carriages 70 (see FIG. 3) extendingalong the first longitudinal side portion 14. The second pair of spacedapart longitudinally extending support surfaces 58A and 58B supported bythe second portions 52 of the laterally extending framing members 44support the plurality of carriages 70 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) extendingalong the second longitudinal side portion 16.

A central aisle portion 72 is defined between the carriages 70 and abovethe third portions 54 of the laterally extending framing members 44. Inthe central aisle portion 72, the third portions 54 of the laterallyextending framing members 44 support a walkway 74. Optionally, thewalkway 74 may include a perforated portion 76 and one or more racewaysor wire management channels 78A and 78B extending longitudinallyalongside the perforated portion 76. Optionally, one or more raceways orwire management channels (not shown) may extend along the roof portion30 in the central aisle portion 72.

The perforated portion 76 may be constructed using a gas permeable,porous, or perforated material. For example, the perforated portion 76may be constructed using perforated tiles 80 that permit air to flowthrough the tiles, from above the tiles to below the tiles and into thelower plenums 46. The perforated tiles 80 may be any standard perforatedcomputer room tiles known in the art. For example, suitable tilesinclude manufacturing part number 20-0357 sold by Tate Access Floors,Inc. of Jessup, Md.

Each of the wire management channels 78A and 78B has an open top portion82 and one or more removable cover 84 affixed thereupon. Each of thecovers 84 is couplable to the open top portion 82 of each of the wiremanagement channels 78A and 78B. By way of a non-limiting example, thecovers 84 may couple to the open top portion 82 of the channels 78A and78B via a friction connection, snap fit connection, and the like.

Optionally, the carriages 70 may be coupled to the first pair of spacedapart longitudinally extending support surfaces 56A and 56B and thesecond pair of spaced apart longitudinally extending support surfaces58A and 58B by isolators or isolating couplers 86 configured to absorbmovement of the container 12 relative to the carriages 70. The isolatingcouplers 86 help prevent damage to any computing equipment mounted tothe carriages 70 that may be caused by the movement of the container 12occurring when the container is moved to a use location, during aseismic event (e.g., an earthquake), and the like. As illustrated inFIG. 5, each of the carriages 70 may also be coupled to one of the firstand second longitudinal side portions 14 and 16 by isolating couplers 86to prevent the carriages from toppling over or bumping into the firstand second longitudinal side portions 14 and 16 of the container 12during transport, a seismic event, and the like.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, five carriages 70 are arrangedalong each of the first and second longitudinal side portions 14 and 16.However, this is not a requirement and different numbers of carriages 70may be arranged along the first and/or second longitudinal side portions14 and 16 depending upon the dimensions used to construct both thecarriages 70 and the container 12.

As may best be viewed in FIG. 5, a first upper plenum 90A is providedadjacent to the first longitudinal side portion 14 and the roof portion30 and a second upper plenum 90B is provided adjacent to the secondlongitudinal side portion 16 and the roof portion 30. Air disposed inthe first upper plenum 90A is cooled by a vertical cooling system 100A(described in greater detail below). Air disposed in the second upperplenum 90B is cooled by a vertical cooling system 100B substantiallysimilar to the vertical cooling system 100A. The cooled air flowsdownwardly from the first and second upper plenums 90A and 90B into thecentral aisle portion 72 of the interior portion 60 of the container 12and toward the walkway 74. The central aisle portion 72 essentiallyserves as a duct to receive and combine the cooled air from both of thevertical cooling systems 100A and 100B. In other words, the verticalcooling systems 100A and 100B flood with cooled air the central aisleportion 72 of the interior portion 60 of the container 12 between thecarriages 70. By way of a non-limiting example, the air in the centralaisle portion 72 of the interior portion 60 of the container 12 may havea temperature of about 75 degrees F. to about 79 degrees F., and in someimplementations about 77 degrees F.

The combined cooled air passes through the perforated portion 76 of thewalkway 74 and into the laterally extending lower plenums 46. The cooledair inside the lower plenums 46 flows laterally along the laterallyextending framing members 44 toward both the first and secondlongitudinal side portions 14 and 16. As described below, the cooled airis drawn up into the carriages 70, flows upwardly therethrough, andreturns to the first and second upper plenums 90A and 90B above thecarriages 70 whereat it is cooled again by the vertical cooling systems100A and 100B, respectively.

The vertical cooling systems 100A and 100B are mechanically separate andoperate independently of one another. If one of the vertical coolingsystems 100A and 100B is not functioning, the other functional verticalcooling system continues to cool the air flowing into the central aisleportion 72 and hence into the lower plenums 46 for distribution to boththe carriages 70 at the first longitudinal side portion 14 and thecarriages at the second longitudinal side portion 16 without regard towhich vertical cooling system is not functioning. In this manner, thedata center 10 may be cooled by one of the vertical cooling systems 100Aand 100B alone. Both of the vertical cooling systems 100A and 100B maybe coupled to a common power source or separate power sources. Further,the vertical cooling systems 100A and 100B may be coupled to a commoncooled water supply or source 310 (see FIG. 10).

Electrical System

FIG. 6 provides a front view of one of the carriages 70 storingcomputing equipment 102. The particular computing equipment 102 receivedinside the carriage 70 may include any computing devices (e.g.,blade-type servers, backplanes therefore, and the like) as well as anyother type of rack mounted electronic equipment known in the art. Thestructure of the carriages 70 is described in detail below.

Turning to FIGS. 7A, 7B and 8A, an electrical system 110 supplieselectric power to the computing equipment 102 (see FIG. 6) housed by thecarriages 70. For ease of illustration, the computing equipment 102 hasbeen omitted from FIGS. 7A and 7B. One or more electric utility lines112A and 112B (see FIG. 8A) supply power to the electrical system 110.By way of a non-limiting example, each of the electric utility lines112A and 112B may provide about 600 Amperes WYE of power to theelectrical system 110.

The electrical system 110 includes one or more power distribution panels120A and 120B each having a plurality of circuit breakers 122A-M, and122A-N, respectively, that protect the various powered components(including the vertical cooling systems 100A and 100B, the computingequipment 102, and the like) within the container 12 from power surges,such as an excess in current draw due to low voltage, a power cableinterconnect fault, or any other condition that causes an excess currentdraw. By way of a non-limiting example, the circuit breakers 122A-M ofthe power distribution panel 120A and the circuit breakers 122A-N of thepower distribution panel 120B may have a fault rating of less than 22KIA.

The utility line 112A is coupled to the electrical system 110 through adisconnect switch 124A configured to selectively disconnect the flow ofcurrent from the utility line 112A to the power distribution panels 120Aand 120B. For example, the disconnect switch may be configured for 600Amps AC. The utility line 112B may be coupled to a separate disconnectswitch 124B configured to selectively disconnect the flow of currentfrom the utility line 112B.

In the embodiment depicted, the power distribution panel 120A providespower to the vertical cooling system 100A and the power distributionpanel 120B provides power to the vertical cooling system 100B. Each ofthe power distribution panels 120A and 120B also provides power to thecarriages 70 along both the first and second longitudinal side portions14 and 16 of the container 12. In FIG. 7B, the five carriages 70extending along the first longitudinal side portion 14 of the container12 have been labeled “CARR. #9,” “CARR. #7,” “CARR. #5,” “CARR. #3,” and“CARR. #1,” and the five carriages 70 extending along the secondlongitudinal side portion 16 of the container 12 have been labeled“CARR. #8,” “CARR. #6,” “CARR. #4,” “CARR. #2,” and “CARR. #0.”

A plurality of electrical conductors 130 are connected to the circuitbreakers 122A-M of the power distribution panel 120A and the circuitbreakers 122A-N of the power distribution panel 120B. Each of theelectrical conductors 130 coupled to the circuit breakers 122C-G and1221-M of the power distribution panel 120A extend along the firstlongitudinal side portion 14 behind the carriages 70 and each of theelectrical conductors 130 coupled to the circuit breakers 122C-G and1221-M of the power distribution panel 120B extend along the secondlongitudinal side portion 16 behind the carriages 70. The electricalconductors 130 extending along the first and second longitudinal sideportions 14 and 16 transport electricity to a plurality of powerreceptacles 132, which may be mounted to the first and secondlongitudinal side portions 14 and 16, or the carriages 70. For ease ofillustration, in FIG. 7A, electrical conductors 130 conductingelectricity to selected power receptacles 132 have been omitted.

Depending upon the implementation details and as appropriate to satisfypower needs, two or more power receptacles 132 may be included for eachcarriage 70. For ease of illustration, two power receptacles 132 havebeen illustrated in FIG. 7B for each carriage 70. In the embodimentillustrated, the power receptacles 132 for the carriage “CARR. #8” arecoupled one each (via a pair of electrical conductors 130) to thecircuit breakers 122C of the power distribution panels 120A and 120B.The power receptacles 132 for the carriage “CARR. #6” are coupled oneeach (via a pair of electrical conductors 130) to the circuit breakers122D of the power distribution panels 120A and 120B. The powerreceptacles 132 for the carriage “CARR. #4” are coupled one each (via apair of electrical conductors 130) to the circuit breakers 122E of thepower distribution panels 120A and 120B. The power receptacles 132 forthe carriage “CARR. #2” are coupled one each (via a pair of electricalconductors 130) to the circuit breakers 122F of the power distributionpanels 120A and 120B. The power receptacles 132 for the carriage “CARR.#0” are coupled one each (via a pair of electrical conductors 130) tothe circuit breakers 122G of the power distribution panels 120A and120B.

Turning to the carriages 70 along the second longitudinal side portion16, the power receptacles 132 for the carriage “CARR. #9” are coupledone each (via a pair of electrical conductors 130) to the circuitbreakers 1221 of the power distribution panels 120A and 120B. The powerreceptacles 132 for the carriage “CARR. #7” are coupled one each (via apair of electrical conductors 130) to the circuit breakers 122J of thepower distribution panels 120A and 120B. The power receptacles 132 forthe carriage “CARR. #5” are coupled one each (via a pair of electricalconductors 130) to the circuit breakers 122K of the power distributionpanels 120A and 120B. The power receptacles 132 for the carriage “CARR.#3” are coupled one each (via a pair of electrical conductors 130) tothe circuit breakers 122L of the power distribution panels 120A and1206. The power receptacles 132 for the carriage “CARR. #1” are coupledone each (via a pair of electrical conductors 130) to the circuitbreakers 122M of the power distribution panels 120A and 120B.

The electrical system 110 may include a separate power supply 133 (e.g.,a 480 VAC power supply) for each of the power receptacles 132. Each ofthe power supplies 133 may be coupled between one of the circuitbreakers 122C-G and 122I-M of the power distribution panels 120A and120B and the power receptacles 132. The power supplies 133 are coupledto a controller 134 (described below). The controller 134 sendsinstructions to the power supplies 133 instructing them to provide powerto one or more of their respective power receptacles 132 or discontinuesending power to one or more of their respective power receptacles 132.In this manner, the controller 134 controls which of the powerreceptacles 132 are powered and which are not.

Further, the circuit breaker 122H of the power distribution panel 120Ais coupled by an electrical conductor 130 to the vertical coolingsystems 100A and the circuit breaker 122B of the power distributionpanel 120B is coupled by an electrical conductor 130 to the verticalcooling systems 100B. Optionally, the circuit breaker 122B of the powerdistribution panel 120A may be coupled to the vertical cooling systems100B and the circuit breaker 122N of the power distribution panel 120Bmay be coupled to the vertical cooling systems 100A.

The circuit breaker 122H of the power distribution panel 120B may becoupled by an electrical conductor 130 to an optional humidifier 123.The optional humidifier 123 may include a humidity sensor (not shown)configured to generated a humidity signal indicating the humidity insidethe container 12. The controller 134 may be coupled to the optionalhumidifier 123 and configured to receive the humidity signal andinterpret it to determine the humidity inside the container 12. Thecontroller 134 may send instructions to the humidifier 123 instructingit to increase or decrease the humidity inside the container 12 based onthe humidity signal. In response to the instructions from the controller134, the humidifier 123 may increase its water vapor output to increasethe humidity inside the air inside the container 12 or reduce its outputto decrease the humidity inside the air inside the container 12.

Referring to FIGS. 8A-8C, optionally, the electrical system 110 mayinclude one or more uninterruptible power supplies (“UPS”) 114,continuous power supplies (“CPS”), backup batteries, and the like. TheUPS 114 provides power to the various powered components of the datacenter 10, including the vertical cooling systems 100A and 100B, thecomputing equipment 102, and the like when power to the utility line112B is interrupted. In the embodiment illustrated, the electricalsystem 110 includes a single UPS 114 configured to provide power to allof the carriages 70 and other electrical equipment (e.g., the coolingsystems 100A and 100B) located inside of the data center 10. The UPS 114may include one or more batteries 115.

One or more carriages 70 may be omitted from the data center 10 toprovide physical space inside the container 12 for the UPS 114. By wayof a non-limiting example, a single UPS 114 may fit within the samefootprint or spatial envelope occupied by one of the carriages 70. Byway of another non-limiting example, a single UPS 114 may fit within thesame footprint or spatial envelope occupied by a pair the laterallyadjacent carriages 70. In such embodiments, the UPS 114 may fit withinthe spatial envelope of a first one of the carriages 70 and thebatteries 115 of the UPS 114 may occupy the same spatial envelope as asecond one of the carriages 70 laterally adjacent to the first. Thus,the data center 10 may be configured based on the user's desires withrespect to computing equipment 102 and the number of carriages 70required thereby versus reliability (i.e., the inclusion or exclusion ofone or more optional UPS 114).

The UPS 114 may receive electricity from the utility line 112B and/orthe utility line 112A. The UPS 114 is coupled to the power distributionpanels 120A and 120B through a disconnect switch 124C. In theimplementation illustrated, a UPS bypass switch 124D is provided. Duringnormal operations, the switches 124A, 124B, and 124C are closed and theUPS bypass switch 124D is open. The UPS 114 may be bypassed by openingswitches 124A, 124B, and 124C and closing the UPS bypass switch 124D.The controller 134 may be coupled to the switches 124A, 124B, 124C, and124D and configured to open them to cut off power to the powerdistribution panels 120A and 120B. The dashed lines in FIG. 8Billustrate control lines coupling the controller 134 to the switches124A, 124C, and 124D. The control lines carry instructions from thecontroller instructing the switches 124A, 124C, and 124D to open to cutall power to the power distribution panels 120A and 120B. Anothercontrol line (not shown) may be used to connect the controller 134 tothe disconnect switch 124B.

The UPS 114 is configured to detect when power to the power distributionpanels 120A and 120B has been interrupted and begin discharging powerthereto to avoid or reduce the duration of any loss of power to theother components of the electrical system 110. In the embodimentdepicted, power received from the utility line 112B (through thedisconnect switch 124B) is routed by the UPS 114 through the disconnectswitch 124C to the power distribution panels 120A and 120B. When the UPS114 detects the utility line 112B is no longer carrying an electricalcurrent, the UPS 114 may be configured to begin discharging electricityfrom the batteries 115 to the power distribution panels 120A and 120B oralternatively, to route power from the utility line 112A to the powerdistribution panels 120A and 120B.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 8A-8C, the UPS 114 includes astatic switch 116. Upon loss of power in the utility line 112B, thestatic switch 116 may transfer the load (e.g., the computing equipment102) to the utility line 112A If the utility line 112A is also notproviding power, the UPS 114 will discharge electricity from thebatteries 115 to the power distribution panels 120A and 120B of theelectrical system 110. Alternatively, upon loss of power in the utilityline 112B, the UPS 114 may begin discharging electricity from thebatteries 115 to the power distribution panels 120A and 120B of theelectrical system 110. When the UPS 114 has discharged all of its storedenergy, the static switch 116 will transfer the load (e.g., thecomputing equipment 102) to the utility line 112A, Coupling the staticswitch 116 of the UPS 114 to the utility line 112A provides greaterfault tolerance than coupling the UPS 114 to the utility line 112Balone.

Tables A and B below provide a pair of non-limiting examples of fromwhich power source, the utility line 112A, the utility line 112B, andthe batteries 115, the static switch 116 may direct power to the powerdistribution panels 120A and 120B. In Tables A and B, the term “YES”indicates the power source is providing power at the static switch 116and the term “NO” indicates the power source is not providing power atthe static switch 116.

TABLE A Supplies power to Utility Utility Batteries power distributionLine 112A Line 112B 115 panels 120A and 120B YES YES YES Utility Line112B YES YES NO Utility Line 112B YES NO YES Utility Line 112A YES NO NOUtility Line 112A NO YES YES Utility Line 112B NO YES NO Utility Line112B NO NO YES Batteries 115 NO NO NO None

TABLE B Supplies power to Utility Utility Batteries power distributionLine 112A Line 112B 115 panels 120A and 120B YES YES YES Utility Line112A YES YES NO Utility Line 112A YES NO YES Utility Line 112A YES NO NOUtility Line 112A NO YES YES Batteries 115 NO YES NO Utility Line 112BNO NO YES Batteries 115 NO NO NO None

Referring to FIG. 5, the electrical system 110 also provides power to alighting system 140. The lighting system 140 may include a plurality oflight emitting diodes (“LEDs”) 142 installed inside the interior portion60 of the container 12 on the roof portion 30 within the central aisleportion 72 above the walkway 74 and between the upper plenums 90A and90B. The LEDs 142 may provide power and/or space efficiency over othertypes of light emitting devices. Alternatively, the lighting system 140may include fluorescent lights (not shown) installed in the centralaisle portion 72 above the walkway 74. In such embodiments, theelectrical system 110 may include a 2 KVA lighting transformer (notshown). The lighting system 140 may include emergency lights (not shown)located over the personnel door 24 for emergency egress upon loss ofpower. The controller 134 may be coupled to the lighting system 140 andconfigured to turn the LEDs 142 on and off.

Communication Network

Returning to FIGS. 7A and 8A, the container 12 may include a networkconnection 150, such as a modem, router, and the like, coupled to anexternal network 152, such as the Internet. The network connection 150may be connected to the external network 152 by any suitable connectionknown in the art, including a wireless connection, a segment of coppercable, a segment of fiber optic cable, and the like. For example, thecontainer 12 may be coupled to an external network implemented in aneighboring building by one or more network cable connections (e.g., 48CAT6 GigE network connections).

The container 12 may also include an internal or private network 154,such as a local area network (“LAN”), used to route data within the datacenter 10 between the various pieces of computing equipment 102. By wayof a non-limiting example, the private network 154 may be implemented asan Ethernet network.

Network cabling (not shown) may couple the computing equipment 102 inthe carriages 70 to the various network components of the privatenetwork 154. The network cabling may include any suitable cables knownin the art, including copper cables, fiber optic cables, and the like.The network cabling may be coupled along the first and secondlongitudinal side portions 14 and 16 as appropriate to effect aconnection with the computing equipment 102 residing in the carriages70. Further, the network cabling may reside inside the wire managementchannels 78A and 78B. Alternatively, the computing equipment 102 in thecarriages 70 may be coupled to the various components of the privatenetwork 154 via wireless connections.

The controller 134 is also coupled to the private network 154. Theelectrical system 110 may also be connected to the private network 154.For example, each of the power sources 133 (coupled to the powerreceptacles 132) may be coupled to the private network 154. In suchembodiments, the controller 134 may send instructions to the powersources 133 over the private network 154. Further, the lighting system140 may be coupled to the private network 154 and the controller 134 maysend instructions to the lighting system 140 over the private network154. Other components, such as the optional humidifier 123 and thevertical cooling systems 100A and 100B may be coupled to the privatenetwork 154 for the purposes of communicating with the controller 134and/or receiving instructions therefrom.

The network connection 150 may be coupled to the private network 154 forthe purposes of providing communication between the private network 154and the external network 152. Methods and devices for implementing theprivate network 154, coupling the computing equipment 102 to the privatenetwork 154, and coupling the private network 154 to the externalnetwork 152 are well-known in the art and will not be described indetail herein.

Controller

As is appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, the controller134 is coupled to and/or includes a memory 136. The memory 136 includesinstructions executable by the controller 134. The controller 134 mayalso be optionally coupled to one or more temperature sensors 137disposed inside the interior portion 60 of the container 12 eachconfigured to send a temperature signal to the controller 134. Thememory 136 may include instructions that when executed by the controller134 instruct the controller to interpret the temperature signal receivedfrom each of the temperature sensors 137 to obtain a temperaturemeasurement. The memory 136 may also store the temperaturemeasurement(s) obtained from the temperature signal(s), the temperaturesignal received from each of the temperature sensors 137, and the like.

The controller 134 may control both the computing equipment 102 (seeFIG. 6) and the environment inside the container 12 over the privatenetwork 154. In embodiments in which the controller 134 is coupled tothe network connection 150 to the external network 152, one or moreremote computing devices (not shown) coupled to the external network 152may communicate with the controller 134. For example, the remotecomputing devices may receive temperature information from thecontroller 134. Similarly, the remote computing devices may receivehumidity information from the controller 134 that the controllerreceived from the optional humidifier 123. Further, the remote computingdevices may send instructions to the controller 134 instructing it tosend instructions to the optional humidifier 123 to increase or decreasethe humidity inside the container 12. The remote computing devices mayalso instruct the controller 134 to send instructions powering up orpowering down selected power sources 133 (coupled to selected powerreceptacles 132). Further, the remote computing devices may alsoinstruct the controller 134 to turn on or off the LEDs 142 of thelighting system 140.

The controller 134 may monitor environmental systems inside thecontainer 12. For example, the vertical cooling systems 100A and 1008may each include a cooling system processor or controller 380 (describedbelow). The controller 134 may be coupled to the cooling systemcontroller 380 for the purposes of receiving information (e.g., alerts,warnings, system faults, and the like) therefrom. The controller 134 maysend the information it receives to the remote computing device(s). Forexample, the controller 134 may transmit an alert to the removecomputing device(s) indicating a problem has occurred (e.g., the flow ofcooled water has stopped, the temperature of the flow of refrigerant istoo high to adequately cool the computing equipment 102, and the like).Further, the controller 134 may send instructions to the cooling systemcontroller 380 instructing it to operate or not operate based on thetemperature inside the container 12.

The memory 136 may include instructions for monitoring the electricalsystem 110 and instructing the controller 134 to report informationrelated to power availability and consumption to the remote computingdevice(s) (not shown) coupled to the external network 152. Further, thecontroller 134 may receive instructions from the remote computingdevice(s), such as an instruction to power down the electrical system110 (e.g., open switches 124A, 124B, 124C, and 124D), power selectedpower sources 133 (coupled to one or more power receptacles 132), turnoff the power to selected power sources 133 (coupled to one or morepower receptacles 132) and the like.

The controller 134 may monitor and/or control the computing equipment102 (see FIG. 6). For example, the memory 136 may include instructionsfor monitoring the UPS 114, individual pieces of computing equipment 102(e.g., individual blade servers), and the like. Further, the controller134 may receive instructions from the remote computing device(s),instructing the controller to turn individual pieces of computingequipment 102 on or off, provide data thereto, and the like.

The controller 134 may include a user interface 138 configured todisplay the temperature measurement(s) obtained from the temperaturesignal received from each of the temperature sensors 137, and any datareceived from other systems inside the container 12.

Carriage

An exemplary embodiment of the carriage 70 is provided in FIGS. 5, 6,and 9. As mentioned above, the carriage 70 is configured to storecomputing equipment 102, which may include a plurality of computingdevices (e.g., blade-type servers) as well as any other type of rackmounted electronic equipment known in the art. The carriage 70 has asubstantially open base portion 210 opposite a substantially open topportion 212. The carriage 70 also has a substantially open front portion214 into which computing equipment 102, fans, cabling, rack mountableequipment, accessories, and the like are received for storage and usetherein. Opposite the open front portion 214, the carriage 70 has a backportion 216.

Cabling and wiring, such as electrical wiring, communication cables, andthe like, may enter the carriage 70 through the back portion 216, whichmay be open and/or may include one or more apertures 215 configured topermit one or more cables or wires to pass therethrough. As mentionedabove, the electrical conductors 130 and optional communication cabling(not shown) may extend along the first and second longitudinal sideportions 14 and 16. Further, the power receptacles 132 (see FIG. 7) arepositioned adjacent to the back portions 216 of the carriages 70 alongthe first and second longitudinal side portions 14 and 16. Such powerreceptacles 132 and communication cabling may be coupled to thecomputing equipment 102 in the carriage 70 through its back portion 216.

As is appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, an amount ofcomputing equipment 102 housed in the interior portion 60 of thecontainer 12 is determined at least in part by the number of carriages70 and the capacity of each to house computing equipment 102. Thecarriage 70 includes a frame 220 to which computing equipment 102, fans,cabling, rack mountable equipment, accessories, and the like may bemounted or otherwise attached. The frame 220 is configured to permit airto flow into the open base portion 210, up through the carriage 70through and around the computing equipment 102 and other items therein,and out the open top portion 212.

The frame 220 includes a plurality of spaced apart upright supportmembers 222A-H, defining one or more upright equipment receiving areas224A-C. The embodiment depicted has three equipment receiving areas224A-C, defined by four upright support members 222A-D arranged alongthe front portion 214 of the carriage 70 and four upright supportmembers 222E-H arranged along the back portion 216 of the carriage 70.Those of ordinary skill in the art appreciate that carriages having adifferent number of upright equipment receiving areas may be constructedby applying ordinary skill in the art to the present teachings and suchembodiments are within the scope of the present teachings.

The upright support members 222A-H are coupled together at the open topportion 212 of the carriage 70 by a vented top plate 226 havingapertures 228A-F in communication with the equipment receiving areas224A-C through which heated air may exit the equipment receiving areas224A-C and be passed to the corresponding first or second upper plenum90A or 90B positioned thereabove. The upright support members 222A-H arecoupled together at the open base portion 210 along the front portion214 of the carriage 70 by a front rail 230 and at the open base portion210 along the back portion 216 of the carriage 70 by a back rail 232.

The four upright support members 222A-D aligned along the front portion214 of the carriage 70 may be coupled to the four upright supportmembers 222E-H aligned along the back portion 216 of the carriage 70 byany desired number of front-to-back extending members 236. The members236 may provide structural stability to the carriage 70. Further, themembers 236 may provide attachment points to which computing equipment102, fans, cabling, rack mountable equipment, accessories, and the likemay be coupled. Further, the upright support members 222E-H along theback portion 216 may be coupled together by any number of members 238extending therebetween. The members 238 may provide stability and/orattachment points to which computing equipment 102, fans, cabling, rackmountable equipment, accessories, and the like may be coupled.Optionally, apertures 239 in the members 238 are configured to providethroughways for wiring, cabling, and the like.

The upright support members 222A-D along the front portion 214 of thecarriage 70 may include openings 240A-F each configured to receivecomputing equipment, such as a rectifier, network switching device(e.g., routers), and the like. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6,two of the openings 240E and 240F each house a rectifier 242 and four ofthe openings 240A-D each house a network switching device 244. By way ofan example, the rectifier 242 may be configured to rectify from about480 V to about −48 V. Referring to FIG. 7B, the power receptacle 132coupled to the power distribution panel 120A may be coupled to one ofthe rectifiers 242 and the power receptacle 132 coupled to the otherpower distribution panel 120B may be coupled to the other of therectifiers 242. In this manner, each of the rectifiers 242 receivespower from a different power distribution panel 120A or 120B.

Turning to FIG. 9, optionally, the upright support members 222E-H alongthe back portion 216 of the carriage 70 may include one or more openings241 substantially similar to the openings 240A-F and aligned with one ormore corresponding opening 240A-F of the upright support members 222A-D.

One or more open-ended conduits 250A-F may extend between the uprightsupport members 222A-D along the front portion 214 and the uprightsupport members 222E-H along the back portion 216. Each of theseconduits 250A-F has an open front end portion 251 opposite and open backend portion 253 (see FIG. 3). Each conduit 250A-F may be configured toprovide a throughway for cabling (not shown) from the front portion 214of the carriage 70 to the back portion 216 of the carriage 70. By way ofa non-limiting example, the cabling may include Category 6 (“Cat-6”)cable for Ethernet connections. Turning to FIG. 6, one or more networkconnections 252A-F, such as an Ethernet jack, may be located adjacentthe front portion 214 of the carriage 70 and coupled to a cables (notshown) extending through the conduits 250A-F.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the equipment receiving areas 224A-C may eachbe divided into four sections “S1-S4” (for a total of 12 sections percarriage 70). Each section “S1-S4” may use twenty-four Ethernetconnections; however, this is not a requirement. By way of anon-limiting example, each blade slot may have two Ethernet ports.However, as is appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, eachblade slot may include more than two Ethernet ports. For example, morethan one Ethernet port may be located in a front portion of a bladeserver and more than one Ethernet port may be located in a back portionof a blade server. The equipment receiving areas 224A-C are not limitedto use with blade servers having a particular number of Ethernet ports.Further, the equipment receiving areas 224A-C are not limited to usewith blade servers having Ethernet ports and may be used with bladeservers having other types of communication ports.

As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, a plurality of air moving assemblies260 each having a plurality of air moving devices 264 (e.g., fans)oriented to blow air upwardly through the equipment receiving areas224A-C, are mounted therein between the upright support members 222A-Hof the carriage 70. Each of the air moving assemblies 260 includes aframe 262 configured to be mounted inside one of the equipment receivingareas 224A-C. The frame 262 houses the plurality of air moving devices264, each of which is oriented to flow air in substantially the sameupward direction. In the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 5 and 6, thecarriage 70 includes nine air moving assemblies 260. However, this isnot a requirement. The number of air moving assemblies mounted insideeach of the equipment receiving areas 224A-C may be determined based atleast in part on the amount of air circulation required to cool thecomputing equipment received therein. The air moving assemblies 260 eachreceive power from the power conductors 130 (see FIG. 7) carrying powerto the carriages 70 and powering the computing equipment 102 housedtherein.

The upright equipment receiving areas 224A-C may be customized toreceive a predetermined collection of computing equipment (e.g., apredetermined number of blade servers). For example, the uprightequipment receiving areas 224A-C may be configured to receive bladeservers 103 in an upright orientation. Alternatively, the uprightequipment receiving areas 224A-C may be configured to receive bladeservers in a horizontal orientation.

In some embodiments, standard 19″ rack mount computer gear (not shown)may be mounted inside the upright equipment receiving areas 224A-C. Thefans inside the rack mount computer gear will draw air into the uprightequipment receiving areas 224A-C from the central aisle portion 72 ofthe interior portion 60 of the container 12. This air will pass throughthe rack mount computer gear, be heated thereby, and exit from the rackmount computer gear adjacent to the back portion 216 of the carriage 70.The heated air may exit the rack mount computer gear inside the carriage70 or between the back portion 216 of the carriage 70 and an adjacentone of the first and second longitudinal side portions 14 and 16. Insuch embodiments, the air moving assemblies 260 will direct the heatedup inside the carriage 70 upwardly toward the open top portion 212 ofthe carriage 70. Further, the air moving assemblies 260 will help drawheated air outside the carriage 70 into the upright equipment receivingareas 224A-C whereat the air moving assemblies 260 will direct theheated up upwardly toward the open top portion 212 of the carriage 70.The rack mount computer gear may be mounted inside the upright equipmentreceiving areas 224A-C in any orientation. For example, the rack mountcomputer gear may be mounted inside the upright equipment receivingareas 224A-C in a manner resembling blade servers. Furthermore, analternate embodiment of the carriage 70 may used, in which the rackmount computer gear may be mounted to extend longitudinally inside thecontainer 12.

The isolating couplers 86 may be coupled to the upright support members222A-H along the base portion 210 of the carriage 70. Alternatively, theisolating couplers 86 may be mounted to the front rail 230, the backrail 232, and/or the members 236 located along the base portion 210 ofthe carriage 70. As may best be viewed in FIG. 5, the isolating couplers86 may also couple one or more of the upright support members 222E-H toone of the first and second longitudinal side portions 14 and 16 of thecontainer 12.

Vertical Cooling System

Referring to FIG. 5, as mentioned above, the vertical cooling system100A cools air flowing up through the carriages 70 arranged along thefirst longitudinal side portion 14 and the vertical cooling system 100Bcools air flowing up through the carriages 70 arranged along the secondlongitudinal side portion 16. The vertical cooling system 100B issubstantially identical to the vertical cooling system 100A. Therefore,for illustrative purposes, only the vertical cooling system 100B will bedescribed in detail.

Turning to FIG. 10, the vertical cooling system 100B includes two fluidflows: a flow of refrigerant and a flow of chilled or cooled water.Within the vertical cooling system 100B, the flow of refrigerant iscooled by transferring its heat to the flow of cooled water. Thevertical cooling system 100B includes a water/refrigerant heat exchanger300 configured to transfer heat from the flow of refrigerant to the flowof cooled water. The water/refrigerant heat exchanger 300 may beimplemented using any heat exchanger known in the art. By way of anon-limiting example, a suitable heat exchanger includes a Liebert XDPWater-Based Coolant Pumping Unit, which may be purchased from Directnet,Inc. doing business as 42 U of Broomfield, Colo.

The flow of cooled water is received from an external supply or source310 of cooled water as a continuous flow of cooled water. By way of anon-limiting example, the flow of cooled water received may have atemperature of about 45 degrees Fahrenheit to about 55 degreesFahrenheit. Optionally, the flow of cooled water may reside in a closedloop 312 that returns the heated previously cooled water to the externalsource 310 of cooled water to be cooled again. The closed loop 312 andthe water/refrigerant heat exchanger 300 are spaced apart from thecarriages 70 and the refrigerant is brought thereto. Thus, the closedloop 312 flow of cooled water and the water/refrigerant heat exchanger300 are segregated from the computing equipment 102 of the data center10.

The flow of cooled water is transported to the container 12 by a firstwater line 318 and is transported away from the container 12 by a secondwater line 320. The container 12 includes a T-shaped inlet valve 330that directs a portion of the flow of cooled water received from thefirst water line 318 to each of the vertical cooling systems 100A and100B (see FIG. 5). The container 12 includes a T-shaped outlet valve 332that directs the flow of cooled water received from both of the verticalcooling systems 100A and 100B (see FIG. 5) to the second water line 320.

An inlet pipe 334 is coupled between one outlet port of the inlet valve330 and the water/refrigerant heat exchanger 300 of the vertical coolingsystem 100B. The inlet pipe 334 carries a portion of the flow of cooledwater to the water/refrigerant heat exchanger 300. A similar inlet pipe(not shown) is coupled between the other outlet port of the inlet valve330 and the water/refrigerant heat exchanger 300 of the vertical coolingsystem 100A.

An outlet pipe 336 is coupled between the water/refrigerant heatexchanger 300 of the vertical cooling system 100B and one inlet port ofthe outlet valve 332. The outlet pipe 336 carries the flow of cooledwater from the water/refrigerant heat exchanger 300 to the outlet valve332. A similar outlet pipe (not shown) is coupled between thewater/refrigerant heat exchanger 300 of the vertical cooling system 100Aand the other inlet port of the outlet valve 332.

The flow of cooled water flowing within the inlet pipe 334 may cool theinlet pipe below the condensation temperature of moisture in the airwithin the interior portion 60 of the container 12. Thus, water maycondense on the inlet pipe 334 and drip therefrom. Similarly, the flowof cooled water flowing within the outlet pipe 336 may cool the outletpipe below the condensation temperature of moisture in the air withinthe interior portion 60 of the container 12 causing water to condense onthe outlet pipe and drip therefrom.

A basin or drip pan 340 may be positioned below the inlet and outletpipes 334 and 336. Any condensed water dripping from the inlet andoutlet pipes 334 and 336 may drip into the drip pan 340. The drip pan340 includes an outlet or drain 342 through which condensed water exitsthe drip pan 340. The drain 342 may extend through the floor portion 32of the container 12 and may be in open communication with theenvironment outside the container 12. As is appreciated by those ofordinary skill in the art, external piping, hoses, and the like may becoupled to the drain for the purposes of directing the condensed wateraway from the container 12.

Together the inlet pipe 334 and drip pan 340 form a passivedehumidification system 350 that limits the humidity inside thecontainer 12 without consuming any additional electrical power beyondthat consumed by the vertical cooling systems 100A and 100B (see FIG.5). In some implementations, the passive dehumidification system 350includes the outlet pipe 336. The amount of dehumidification provided bythe passive dehumidification system 350 may be determined at least inpart by the surface area of the components (e.g., the inlet pipe 334,the outlet pipe 336, the water/refrigerant heat exchanger 300, the inletvalve 330, the outlet valve 332, and the like) upon which watercondenses.

Within the vertical cooling system 100B, the flow of refrigerant flowsthrough a closed loop 352. The closed loop 352 includes a refrigerantsupply manifold 354 and a refrigerant return manifold 356. Therefrigerant supply manifold 354 carries cooled refrigerant to aplurality of supply conduits 360, each coupled to one of a plurality ofrefrigerant/air heat exchangers 370. In the embodiment illustrated, twoheat exchangers 370 are provided for each carriage 70. However, this isnot a requirement. A plurality of return conduits 372, each coupled toone of the plurality of heat exchangers 370, carry heated refrigerantfrom the plurality of heat exchangers 370 to the refrigerant returnmanifold 356. Because the embodiment illustrated includes two heatexchangers 370 for each carriage 70, the plurality of supply conduits360 and the plurality of return conduits 372 each include ten conduits.The refrigerant return manifold 356 carries heated refrigerant receivedfrom the heat exchangers 370 back to the water/refrigerant heatexchanger 300 to be cooled again by the flow of cooled water therein.

The refrigerant supply manifold 354, supply conduits 360, therefrigerant return manifold 356, and return conduits 372 may include oneor more flow regulators or valves 358 configured to control or restrictthe flow of the refrigerant therethrough. In the embodiment depicted inFIG. 10, the refrigerant supply manifold 354 includes one valve 358before the first supply conduit 360 regulating the flow of refrigerantinto the supply conduits 360. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 10, thesupply conduits 360 each include one valve 358 regulating the flow ofrefrigerant to each of the heat exchangers 370. By selectively adjustingthe flow of refrigerant through the valves 358, the amount of coolingsupplied to each of the heat exchangers 370 may be adjusted.

The vertical cooling system 100B may include one or more temperaturesensors 376 coupled to refrigerant supply manifold 354, supply conduits360, the refrigerant return manifold 356, and/or return conduits 372.Each of the temperature sensors 376 may be used to monitor thetemperature of the flow of refrigerant and generate a temperaturesignal. As mentioned above, the vertical cooling system 1008 may includethe cooling system controller 380, which may be coupled to the inletvalve 330 and the temperature sensor(s) 376. In such embodiments, thecooling system controller 380 is configured to increase or decrease aflow rate of the cooled water through the inlet valve 330 based upon thetemperature signal(s) received from the temperature sensor(s) 376 forthe purpose of decreasing or increasing the temperature of the flow ofrefrigerant within the closed loop 352 of the vertical cooling system100B. In this manner, the temperature of the flow of refrigerant withinthe closed loop 352 may be adjusted by modifying the flow rate of thecooled water used to cool the flow of refrigerant.

If any of the refrigerant leaks from the vertical cooling system 100B,it does so in a gas or vapor form. Thus, even if a refrigerant leakoccurs, it does not leak or drip onto the computing equipment 102. Therefrigerant supply manifold 354, supply conduits 360, the refrigerantreturn manifold 356, and return conduits 372 in which the refrigerantcirculates have a temperature above the condensation temperature of themoisture in the air within the interior portion 60 of the container 12.Thus, water does not condense on the refrigerant supply manifold 354,supply conduits 360, the refrigerant return manifold 356, and returnconduits 372. As a result, the flow of refrigerant does not expose thecomputing equipment 102 to dripping water (from condensation).

Referring to FIG. 4, each of the heat exchangers 370 has a coil assembly373. The refrigerant flows from the supply conduits 360 into each of theheat exchangers 370 and circulates through its coil assembly 373. Theair above the carriages 70 is warm, having been heated by the computingequipment 102. The heated air travels upward through the heat exchangers370 and is cooled by the refrigerant. As may best be viewed in FIGS. 4and 5, each of the heat exchangers 370 is implemented as a radiatorstyle evaporator with its coil assembly 373 arranged at an anglerelative to the front portion 214 and the open top portion 212 of thecarriages 70. As is appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art,the coil assembly 373 has one or more cooling surfaces (not shown)whereat heat is exchanged between the air external to the coil assembly373 and the refrigerant flowing inside the coil assembly 373. The coilassembly 373 of the heat exchangers 370 may be angled to maximize anamount of cooling surface for the space available for positioning of theheat exchangers, thereby providing a maximum amount of cooling capacity.For example, an inside angle “A” defined between the front portion 214of the carriages 70 and the coil assembly 373 may range from about 144degrees to about 158 degrees. Thus, an angle of about 144 degrees toabout 158 degrees may be defined between the coil assembly 373 and theopen top portions 212 of the carriages 70.

The cooling capacity of the heat exchanger 370 may also depend at leastin part on the amount of refrigerant flowing in its coil assembly 373.As mentioned above, by adjusting the valves 358, the amount ofrefrigerant flowing from each of the supply conduits 360 into each ofthe heat exchangers 370 may be adjusted. In this manner, the coolingcapacity of the vertical cooling system 100B may be customized for eachcarriage 70, a portion of each carriage, and the like. Further, thecooling capacity may be determined at least in part based on the amountof heat expected to be produced by the computing equipment 102 mountedwithin each of the carriages, portions of the carriages, and the like.By way of a non-limiting example, the flow of refrigerant from thesupply conduits 360 into the heat exchangers 370 may be customized for aparticular distribution of computing equipment 102 (e.g., blade servers)within the container 12. Further, the valves 358 in the refrigerantsupply manifold 354 may be used to control the flow of refrigerant toall of the heat exchangers 370 of the vertical cool system 100B.Similarly, a valve (not shown) in the refrigerant return manifold 356may be used to restrict the flow of refrigerant from all of the heatexchangers 370 of the vertical cool system 100B.

A plurality of bent ducts or conduits 390 may be coupled between each ofthe heat exchangers 370 and at least a portion of the open top portion212 of an adjacent carriage 70 to direct heated air rising from thecarriage 70 into the heat exchanger 370. In the embodiment illustrated,one bent conduit 390 is coupled between a single heat exchanger 370 anda portion (e.g., approximately half) of the open top portion 212 of anadjacent carriage 70. Each bent conduit 390 has a bent portion 392 anddefines a bent travel path for the heated air expelled from the carriage70 into the heat exchanger 370. By directing the heated air rising fromthe carriage 70 along the roof portion 30 of the container 12, the bentportions 392 help prevent the formation of a back pressure in the upperplenums 90A and 90B along the roof portion 30 that could push the heatedair back into the open top portions 212 of the carriages 70. In theembodiment depicted, the bend conduit 390 includes an internal baffle394 that bifurcates the bent conduit 390 along the bent travel path.

A sealing member 396 is positioned between the back portions 216 of thecarriages 70 and the first and second longitudinal side portions 14 and16. Similarly, a sealing member 397 is positioned between the frontportions 214 of the carriages 70 and the heat exchangers 370. Thesealing members 396 and 397 help seal the upper plenums 90A and 90B fromthe remainder of the interior portion 60 of the container 12. Thesealing members 396 and 397 may be constructed from any suitablematerial known in the art including foam.

The air cooled by the heat exchangers 370 is pushed therefrom by the airmoving assemblies 260 and flows downwardly from the angled heatexchangers 370 toward the walkway 74 on the floor portion 32 of thecontainer 12. As discussed above, the walkway 74 includes the perforatedportion 76 that permits air to flow therethrough and into the lowerplenums 46. If the laterally extending framing members 44 areimplemented with a C-shaped cross-sectional shape, air may flowlaterally inside the open inside portion 47 of the laterally extendingframing members 44. In other words, the open inside portion 47 of theC-shaped laterally extending framing members 44 may be considered partof an adjacent lower plenum 46.

Once inside one of the lower plenums 46, the air may flow beneath thecarriages 70. Because the laterally extending framing members 44 extendfrom the beneath the walkway 74 to beneath the carriages 70 arrangedalong both the first and second longitudinal side portions 14 and 16,air is directed laterally by the laterally extending framing members 44from beneath the walkway 74 toward and below the carriages 70. Oncebeneath the carriages 70, the air is drawn upward by the air movingassemblies 260 of the carriages and into the carriages 70, and throughand around the computing equipment 102. As the air is heated by thecomputing equipment 102, the heated air rises up through the carriage70, and into the bent conduit 390, which directs the heated air into theheat exchangers 370 associated with the carriage to be cooled again.

As mentioned above, each of the carriages 70 includes air moving devices264 (see FIG. 5). An amount of power consumed by the air moving devices264 to adequately cool the computing equipment 102 may be determined atleast in part by how well air flows from the carriages 70 and into theheat exchangers 370. Thus, the shape of the bent conduits 390 in theupper plenums 90A and 90B may determine at least in part the amount ofpower consumed by the air moving devices 264. Thus, the bent conduits390 may be configured to reduce or minimize the amount of power consumedby the air moving devices 264.

If the container 12 is located in an environment in which the airoutside the container has a temperature suitable for cooling thecomputing equipment 102 (see FIG. 6) mounted inside the carriages 70,the container may include openings through which air from the outsideenvironment may flow into the container to cool the computing equipment102. The container may also include openings through which air heated bythe computing equipment 102 may exit the container into the outsideenvironment. In such embodiments, some of the air cooling components ofthe vertical cooling systems 100A and 100B (see FIG. 5) may be omittedfrom the data center 10.

FIG. 11 provides a data center 400 for use in an environment having atemperature suitable for cooling the computing equipment 102 (see FIG.6) mounted inside the carriages 70. For ease of illustration, likereference numerals have been used to identify like components of thedata center 400 and the data center 10 (see FIG. 5). The data center 400includes a container 402, substantially similar to the container 12 (seeFIG. 5). For ease of illustration, only aspects of the container 402that differ from those of container 12 will be described in detail.

The container 402 includes a first plurality of upper openings 410A, asecond plurality of upper openings 410B, a first plurality of loweropenings 412A, and a second plurality of lower openings 412B. The firstplurality of upper openings 410A and the first plurality of loweropenings 412A extend along the first longitudinal side portion 14 of thecontainer 402. The second plurality of upper openings 410B and thesecond plurality of lower openings 412B extend along the secondlongitudinal side portion 16 of the container 402. The first and secondplurality of upper openings 410A and 410B provide open communicationbetween the upper plenums 90A and 90B, respectively, and the environmentoutside the container 402. The first and second plurality of loweropenings 412A and 412B provide open communication between the lowerplenums 46 and the environment outside the container 402.

Cool air is drawn into the lower plenums 46 by the air moving assemblies260 mounted inside the carriages 70 through the first and secondplurality of lower openings 412A and 412B. Air heated by the computingequipment 102 (see FIG. 6) is pushed from the upper plenums 90A and 90Bby the air moving assemblies 260 through the first and second pluralityof upper openings 410A and 410B, respectively. In this embodiment, thehumidity of the air inside the container 402 is controlled bycontrolling the humidity of the air outside the container 402.

Optionally, the data center 400 includes louvers 420. In the embodimentillustrated in FIG. 11, a single louver 420 is received inside each ofthe first and second plurality of upper openings 410A and 410B and asingle louver 420 is received inside each of the first and secondplurality of lower openings 412A and 412B. However, this is not arequirement.

In alternate implementations discussed below, the louvers 420 may coverthe first and second plurality of upper openings 410A and 410B and thefirst and second plurality of lower openings 412A and 412B. By way of anon-limiting example, a first louver may cover a single one of the firstplurality of upper openings 410A and a second different louver may covera single one of the second plurality of upper openings 410B. Similarly,a third louver may cover a single one of the first plurality of loweropenings 412A and a fourth louver may cover a single one of the secondplurality of lower openings 412B. By way of another non-limitingexample, a single louver may cover more than one of the first pluralityof upper openings 410A, more than one of the second plurality of upperopenings 410B, more than one of the first plurality of lower openings412A, or more than one of the second plurality of lower openings 412B.

The louvers 420 may be selectively opened and closed to selectivelytransition the data center 400 between an open system state in which atleast one of the louvers 420 is open and a closed system state in whichall of the louvers 420 are closed. Based on the external environmentalfactors, the data center 400 may operate in the open system state toexploit “free air” cooling when appropriate and switch to the closedsystem state when necessary (e.g., the temperature of the air in theoutside environment is too hot or too cold, the air in the outsideenvironment is too humid, the air in the outside environment includestoo many contaminants, and the like).

Optionally, as illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12, the data center 400 mayomit the source 310 of cooled water, the chilled water/refrigerant heatexchanger 300, the refrigerant supply manifold 354, the refrigerantreturn manifold 356, the supply conduits 360, the return conduits 372,the refrigerant/air heat exchangers 370, the bent conduits 390, theT-shaped inlet valve 330, the T-shaped outlet valve 332, the first waterline 318, the second water line 320, the inlet pipe 334, and the outletpipe 336. In such embodiments, the data center 400 may remain in theopen system state during operation and transition to a closed systemstate only when the computing equipment 102 (see FIG. 6) is powereddown.

In some implementations, the louvers 420 are configured such that all ofthe louvers 420 are either open or closed at the same time. For example,each of the louvers 420 may include a plurality of blades 422(illustrated in an open position) selectively openable and closable by acontrol switch (not shown). When the switch is placed in the closedposition, all of the blades 422 of the louvers 420 are closed and whenthe switch is in the open position all of the blades 422 of the louvers420 are open.

Optionally, the data center 400 includes one or more covers, chimneys,or similar structures (not shown) configured to allow air to flow fromthe first and second plurality of upper openings 410A and 410B and atthe same time, prevent precipitation (rain, snow, etc) from entering thecontainer 402 through the first and second plurality of upper openings410A and 410B.

Referring to FIG. 12, an alternate embodiment of the louvers 420 isprovided. Louvers 430 are configured to be coupled to the roof portion30 of the container 402 adjacent the second plurality of upper openings4108 and to extend outwardly away from the roof portion 30 of thecontainer 402. The louvers 430 are further configured to be coupled tothe roof portion 30 of the container 402 adjacent the first plurality ofupper openings 410A (see FIG. 11) and to extend outwardly away from theroof portion 30 of the container 402. The louvers 430 are alsoconfigured to be coupled to the floor portion 32 of the container 402adjacent one or more of the second plurality of lower openings 412B andto extend outwardly away from the floor portion 32 of the container 402.The louvers 430 are further configured to be coupled to the floorportion 32 of the container 402 adjacent one or more of the firstplurality of lower openings 412A (see FIG. 11) and to extend outwardlyaway from the floor portion 32 of the container 402.

Each of the louvers 430 include an assembly (not shown) configured toselectively open to provide air flow between the interior portion 60 ofthe container 402 and the outside environment and to selectively closeto cutoff air flow between the interior portion 60 of the container 402and the outside environment. The louvers 430 may be configured to beopened and closed at the same time using any method known in the art.Further, each of the louvers 430 may include a filter (not shown)configured to prevent contaminants and particulate matter (e.g., dust,insects, and the like) from entering the interior portion 60 of thecontainer 402.

FIGS. 13 and 14 provide a data center 450 for use in an environmenthaving a temperature suitable for cooling the computing equipment 102(see FIG. 6) mounted inside the carriages 70. For ease of illustration,like reference numerals have been used to identify like components ofthe data center 450 and the data centers 10 and 400. The data center 450includes a container 452, substantially similar to the container 12 (seeFIG. 1). For ease of illustration, only aspects of the container 452that differ from those of container 12 will be described in detail.

Like the data center 400 (see FIGS. 11 and 12), the data center 450includes the first and second plurality of upper openings 410A and 410B.However, the data center 450 omits the first and second plurality oflower openings 412A and 412B. Instead, the data center 450 includes afirst plurality of side openings 456A and a second plurality of sideopenings 456B. The first plurality of side openings 456A extends alongthe first longitudinal side portion 14 of the container 452 and thesecond plurality of side openings 456B extends along the secondlongitudinal side portion 16 of the container 452.

The first and second plurality of side openings 456A and 456B provideopen communication between the environment outside the container 452 andthe lower plenums 46 (see FIG. 11). Cool air is drawn into lower plenums46 by the air moving assemblies 260 (see FIG. 11) through the first andsecond plurality of side openings 456A and 456B. Air heated by thecomputing equipment 102 (see FIG. 6) is pushed from the upper plenums90A and 90B (see FIG. 11) by the air moving assemblies 260 through thefirst and second plurality of upper openings 410A and 412B. In thisembodiment, the humidity of the air inside the container 452 iscontrolled by controlling the humidity of the air outside the container452.

In FIG. 13, a louver 420 is received inside each of the first and secondplurality of upper openings 410A and 412B and the first and secondplurality of side openings 456A and 456B are covered by louvers 560substantially similar to the louvers 420. In FIG. 14, the first andsecond plurality of upper openings 410A and 412B are illustrated withoutlouvers and the first and second plurality of side openings 456A and456B are covered by louver assemblies 562 that extend outwardly awayfrom the container 452.

Instead of blades, the louver assemblies 562 include openings or slots564. Each of the louver assemblies 562 includes an assembly (not shown)configured to selectively open to provide air flow between the interiorportion 60 of the container 452 and the outside environment and toselectively close to cutoff air flow between the interior portion 60 ofthe container 452 and the outside environment. The louver assemblies 562may be configured to be opened and closed at the same time using anymethod known in the art. Further, each of the louver assemblies 562 mayinclude a filter (not shown) configured to prevent particulate matter(e.g., dust, insects, and the like) from entering the interior portion60 of the container 452.

The foregoing described embodiments depict different componentscontained within, or connected with, different other components. It isto be understood that such depicted architectures are merely exemplary,and that in fact many other architectures can be implemented whichachieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangementof components to achieve the same functionality is effectively“associated” such that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, anytwo components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality canbe seen as “associated with” each other such that the desiredfunctionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedialcomponents. Likewise, any two components so associated can also beviewed as being “operably connected,” or “operably coupled,” to eachother to achieve the desired functionality.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shownand described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that,based upon the teachings herein, changes and modifications may be madewithout departing from this invention and its broader aspects and,therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope allsuch changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scopeof this invention. Furthermore, it is to be understood that theinvention is solely defined by the appended claims. It will beunderstood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein,and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appendedclaims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term“including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” theterm “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term“includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,”etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if aspecific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such anintent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence ofsuch recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid tounderstanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of theintroductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claimrecitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed toimply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinitearticles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing suchintroduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one suchrecitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases“one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or“an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “atleast one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use ofdefinite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, evenif a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitlyrecited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitationshould typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number(e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without othermodifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or morerecitations).

Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appendedclaims.

1. A data center comprising: a container comprising an interior portionhaving a humidity; a network; a humidifier coupled to the network anddisposed inside the interior portion of the container, the humidifierhaving an humidity sensor operable to detect the humidity inside theinterior portion of the container and send a humidity signal over thenetwork; a plurality of computing devices disposed inside the interiorportion of the container and coupled to the network; and a controllercoupled to both the humidifier and the plurality of computing devices bythe network, the controller being operable to send instructions over thenetwork to the plurality of computing devices, to receive the humiditysignal, and based on the humidity signal received, instruct thehumidifier to increase or decrease the humidity inside the container. 2.The data center of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configuredto turn on or off selected ones of the plurality of computing devices.3. A data center comprising: a plurality of computing devices disposedinside an enclosure having an environment; at least one environmentalsystem operable to modify the environment inside the enclosure: anetwork coupled to the plurality of computing devices and the at leastone environmental system; and a controller coupled to the network, thecontroller being configured to communicate with the plurality ofcomputing devices over the network and to send instructions to the atleast one environmental system over the network instructing it to modifythe environment inside the enclosure.
 4. The data center claim 3,wherein the at least one environmental system consists of: a pluralityof openings near the bottom of the container through which cool air fromthe outside environment enters the interior space of the container; aplurality of openings near the top of the container through which heatedair from the interior space of the container exits to the outsideenvironment; and a plurality of louvers covering the plurality ofopenings near the top and bottom of the container wherein the louversare selectively operable.
 5. The data center of claim 4, wherein saidlouvers are remotely operable.
 6. The data center of claim 4, furthercomprising a means for controlling the environment inside a data centerconstructed inside of a container having a plurality of lower openingsnear the bottom of the container through which cool air from the outsideenvironment enters the interior space of the container, and a pluralityof upper openings near the top of the container through which heated airexits the interior space of the container, said means for controllingcomprising; means for measuring internal environmental conditions withinthe container; means for remotely adjusting the operable louverscovering the plurality of lower openings; and means for remotelyadjusting the operable louvers covering the plurality of upper openings.7. The data center of claim 6, further comprising a means forcontrolling the internal environment of the container through selectiveadjustment of louver position.
 8. The data center of claim 3, whereinthe at least one environmental system, for removing moisture from theinternal space of the container, further comprises: the surface area ofthe inlet and outlet pipes; a drip pan located below the inlet andoutlet pipes; and a drain in communication with the drip pan and theenvironment outside the container.
 9. A data center, comprising: aconventional shipping container having an internal environment; computerhardware disposed within said shipping container; data storage capacityin electrical connection with said computer hardware; interfaceelectronics in electrical communication with said computer hardware andsaid data storage capacity, and configurable according to customerrequirements and specifications; a vertical cooling system; a coolingsystem controller in communication with said vertical cooling system andconfigured to receive environmental information; and a means foradjusting said internal environment within said shipping container. 10.The data center of claim 9, wherein said vertical cooling system furthercomprises a means for coupling to an inlet valve; and a temperaturesensor providing a temperature signal and in electrical communicationwith said cooling system controller; and a means to increase or decreasea flow rate of cooled water through said inlet valve in response to saidtemperature signal received from said temperature sensor.